(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an equine dental files or floats, and more particularly to an improved float with rotating and pivotable head.
(2) Background Information
The teeth of a horse are continuously erupting as they wear, and it is typically necessary to periodically file projecting edges of the teeth, to maintain good equine health. Without such “floating,” the horses' teeth will develop sharp edges, points and hooks that can lacerate the horse's cheeks and tongue.
The instrument utilized to file the teeth of a horse is commonly referred to as a “float”. The conventional float has a head with carbide grit, similar to sandpaper. The size of the grit will determine the coarseness of the float head, and the speed with which the tooth will be ground down to proper shape.
One common problem with prior art equine floats was the length of time that the float head would retain sufficient grit for effective floating. As with sandpaper, the grit eventually wears off of the float head until the file must be replaced or rebuilt. This problem was addressed by the inventor herein in U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,894, wherein a float was provided with a series of cutting teeth on separate faces of a cutting head. When one face became worn, the head was turned to a new face, and floating could continue.
While the float with multiple cutting edges was a successful improvement, it is still a problem to reach various portions of a horse's mouth, for effecting floating. The rigid handle of typical floats hinders the ability of the technician to effectively and conveniently reach all of the teeth in a horse's mouth.